Managing the Risk of Canola Production in Low Rainfall Environments
Authors: 1Therese McBeath, 2Michael Moodie, 3Andrew Ware, 1Bill Davoren, 1Willie Shoobridge, 2Mick Brady, 2Todd McDonald, 3Leigh Davis, 3Brenton Spriggs, 3Sue Budarick
1CSIRO Agriculture & Food Waite Campus 2Mallee Sustainable Farming 3SARDI
Funded By: GRDC Optimised Canola Productivity (CSP00187)
Peer Review: Elizabeth Meier
Key Messages
- Sowing at the earliest opportunity (which requires rainfall) is an important component of reducing the risk of canola production in low rainfall environments.
- The amount of N available to the crop is critical to productivity in a canola crop that has established well.
- Applying adequate doses of fertiliser N at seeding or early in the crop’s development have produced the highest grain yields but this was less important in a wet spring like 2016.
- Legumes can provide N to a subsequent canola crop, but in many cases, canola growing on legume residue will still respond to fertiliser N inputs.
- Analysis of the profit-risk context for optimal N inputs for canola produced in low rainfall environments is underway.